Thank you and good evening.

It is an absolute honor and privilege to introduce tonight's next awardee, Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint al Hussein.

When I first met Princess Haya in Dubai, we spoke at length not only about Al Jalil, a Children's specialty hospital, which is the hospital that carries the name of Princess Haya, his daughter, but also about our shared interest in helping the world's youth grow up healthy and strong.

Since that time, I've come to personally admire Princess Hyo for her rare and special combination of strong leadership and compassionate spirit.

With these qualities, she has become a leading international advocate for Children's needs and for humanitarian progress around the globe.

She has worked tirelessly to provide food aid, health service's and social service is to the poor and to communities in crisis in Jordan, Haiti, Cambodia, Ethiopia and many other nations.

In times of crisis, the princess can often be found at the center of relief efforts, working on the ground to find new, innovative ways of helping those in need to each venture, Her Royal Highness Springs Warm kindness and determination to uplift and in power those who are disadvantaged.

In March of 2007 Princess Hyo was appointed the chairperson of International Humanitarian City I H C.

Based in Dubai.

This is one of the largest supply depots for aid in the world.

In September of the same year, Princess Haya was selected by U.

N.

Secretary General Ban Ki moon as messenger of peace.

This is the highest honor bestowed by the United Nations on a global citizen.

And it is a fitting role for a leader who has devoted herself to aiding the most vulnerable among us.

Tonight, I am extremely proud to help the Atlantic Council recognize princes high as contributions to the global community by bestowing a distinguished leadership award.

Now, please join me in welcoming Her Royal Highness to the stage.

Mr.

Kemper Governor Huntsman, Admiral Michelle Howard, Your Excellency, Jens Stoltenberg, Renee Fleming and Mr William Ford Jr.

Your Excellencies.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to start by thanking Mr Newman for that generous introduction.

I'm privileged to be introduced by a man who's been instrumental in cementing such a solid bridge between the United Arab Emirates and the United States, and by working tirelessly to do so through a partnership that saves Children's lives through the very best pediatric medical care possible.

And in all honesty, I don't know of any calling better than that that cherishes innocent lives of Children and gives them a start to life.

It's really difficult to destroy.

I've how truly overwhelmed and humbled I feel to be here tonight.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the Atlantic Council for selecting me to accept this award and for their incredible humanitarian efforts made by the people of the U.

S.

A.

And our leaders.

I grew up in the ash my Kingdom of Jordan, but 14 years ago I began to call you a my home.

Seven federally unified Emirates states that had all survived the harsh desert climb it enduring hunger, poverty, high infant mortality and disease.

Of course, the discovery of oil had enabled us founding fathers to improve living standards in ways never dreamed of before.

But if you look beyond the glittering skyline, it's the spirit of the U.

A.

Its people and its leadership that captured my heart and I found their people in the leadership that never forgot the hard times they lived through.

And who's humanitarian values and foreign policy were both built on that memory and that resilience.

It's no accident that Theo, a CD, records Theo you A.

As the world's most generous humanitarian donor, as a percentage of its GDP, with a population of only nine million in 2015 EU, a government gave $5 billion to eight projects, and when you had private donations, the U A eight tops $8 billion a year and everything absolutely everything that I am able to do is completely thanks to that generosity of spirit.

The ways in which in in many ways the way that I fell in love with is it plates much like this great country when it started a land of dreams, a land of tolerance and diversity inclusivity.

Today, the U.

S.

Has the highest percentage of women in higher education of any country in the world.

We have an incredibly diverse population from 200 countries with every religious faith, and we even have the world's first minister of tolerance.

When friends ask me what the U.

S.

A.

Has done in the fight against the Irish.

I love to point out that during the first coalition airstrike, the lead plane was from the USA and it was flown by a woman.

But as we meet here tonight in comfort and in great company, it's around 4 30 in the morning in the world's youngest nation, south Sudan.

It will be a couple of hours before the first glimmer of light appears on the north.

Teeth.

North North, East African Horizon Far too many in south Sudan are welcoming this day as another day of hunger.

There's no comfort in the darkness that in shrouds the world's starving.

They're knights are punctuated by hunger, thirst disease in the camps and the air is thick with despair.

I'm often reminded of the pervert that the darkest hour is just before doing, but I also wonder just how dark the South Sudanese night has to become before we can welcome a doing of hope.

Early this year, the United Nations declared a state of famine in south Sudan.

The U.

N.

Doesn't use this term lightly.

It's the first time in six years that any country had met the grim criteria for this labor.

The famine designation only applies to a small part of south Sudan, But 20 million other people there in Yemen, Somalia and Nigeria are also on the brink of Furman.

That's more than the combined population off this entire region.

Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, Delaware and Rhode Island.

And this is not just a problem for south Sudan.

It's a problem for all of us.

Famine and war have already created 1.80 million refugees in that region, and hunger, dislocation and despair are incubators for intolerance and terrorism.

I have no doubt they are the weapons of war that terrorist groups and corrupt politicians use.

And it's up to us to take those weapons away.

Today, there are more than 65 million refugees and displaced people worldwide, higher even than after World War Two.

In my native Jordan, Lebanon, southern Turkey, they've all hosted roughly four million Syrian refugees.

Millions more have fled to Europe, North America and the Gulf.

When I speak to those victims in those humanitarian crises, they tell me that they all just want to live in peace, to love their families and to feed and care for their Children.

They wonder why they must pay for the failure off their politicians and others.

They ask if they've bean for gotten.

And this is where the anger of for gotten is born places where people have absolutely nothing to lose.

The Atlantic Council of America has a great history, and as an organization it can and does help to make a difference in this world.

And all of the other award winners tonight have shown through their dedication and everything they have done what's possible for me.

It's a great honor to be among them, but it's also a great honor to be among people of influence people like you.

I wanted to say that you're not alone in shouldering the burdens that you face the U.

A.

E.

In many other countries, you will always find willing, incredible partners who are committed to humanitarian diplomacy, as you are today.

As in the days when the Atlantic Council was founded, the world looks to the United States for leadership.

American involvement is crucial to ending the kinds of conflicts that have created the threat of mass starvation in the East Africa and Yemen and so many other places of worry in the world.

Together we can create a different future for our Children.

But I start tonight by thank you for this award.

Thank you.